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Herniaria glabra Rupturewort, Green Carpet

  
 

The nursery industry calls it Green Carpet and well they should. This lovely bright green creeper spreads effortlessly in all directions filling up to two feet per plant.  A fairly flat plant of about two inches, it has one long tap root (as opposed to many surface roots like a Creeping Thyme) which helps with water conservation. It likes full sun but it can take partial shade. Related to Carnations and Dianthus (or Pinks), the lowly Green Carpet must be the black sheep of the Caryophyllaceae family because I have never seen it flower, although I have read that it makes tiny flowers without petals? I figure if I have to use a hand lens, then the flowers can't be much. However, the lack of flower in a ground cover can sometimes be a benefit. Bees can be a problem on flowering thymes that are in walkways. Plus, without flowers there is never the 'clean up period' that follows bloom time. 

 

Green Carpet in the Garden

The vibrant green of Herniaria perks up gray leaved plants (like Lavenders) and offsets darker green plants (like Hyssop, Myrtle and Germander). It is soft to walk on and can take quite a bit of foot traffic, as long as it is not continual. Trailing down the side of a container, it adds interest and color to container plantings.

Sunset Western Garden Book rates this plant as hardy in all Sunset Zones. We have seen it rated from USDA Zone 5, but most literature suggests Zone 7. 

Herniaria, a native of Europe, was used in the past for (I know you guessed, already) hernias. But, not hernias like we think of them today, but, rather hernias of the skin (like a cut). In this capacity, it was known as Rupturewort.

These are plug trays of Herniaria ready for sale. These trays hold 128 of all the same plant.  They are a great low cost way to fill a lot of space. Each little cell is 3/4 of inch by 3/4 of an inch and is ready to be plugged (pun intended) into the smallest of spaces. You can use our online availability list to see what plants are currently available in plugs. And, yes we do carry Green Carpet plugs!

Green Carpet may be included where appropriate in our 
36 Pack Alternative Lawn Assortment.
 

Cultural Information

Height: 3 Inches

Hardiness: Perennial
in Zone 7-11

Flower Color: None

Characteristics: Full/
Partial Sun, Evergreen

Uses: Ornamental Groundcover,
 Medicinal

Green Carpet

$4.95 per 3 inch pot

Quantity

 

  

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